ComplaintsforE.F. Winslow Plumbing & Heating Company, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  02/22/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Winslow installed a minisplit system for my building at **************************************************************** during June and July of 2023. They put the outdoor unit onto my neighbor's property unbeknownst to me at the time. My neighbor complained to me a few weeks after the installation. I brought it to Winslow's attention right away. They stated they would move it a few feet onto my property free of charge. However, when I inquired about scheduling the work, they informed me it would cost more than $7,500 to move the unit. I should not have to pay for their mistake. The unit is clearly on another property. I have photos and email communications with them that state they would move the unit. When they gave me the quote, I presumed that all units would be placed onto my property. I never agreed to having them placed on someone else's property. Additionally, the work is under labor warranty which this should also fall under. They essentially did not finish the work because the outdoor unit now belongs to my neighbor, but was paid by me. I would like for them to move the unit back onto my property as agreed up in the initial contract.

  

  Business response

  02/23/2024

   

  Dear **********,
  
  First, E.F. Winslow are not scammers and unprofessional as you have been publicizing on social media. We have been in business for over 53 years and have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. In April of 2023,you contracted us to install an HVAC system for you and you signed the contract and made a deposit.  In June of 2023 we completed the job, mailed you an invoice for completion on June 7th,2023, and we received payment for the completion of the job on July 7th,2023. In our contract it clearly states the location of the outside condensers to be located on the left and right side of your building. Our contract specifically stated where they were going to be located and the location of the equipment was reviewed by you with *****, our estimator, during the initial site visit. You signed the contract, and we installed the equipment as per the authorized signed contract. We completed the job, and you paid your bill, and we never heard any complaints. Months go by and your neighbor complained to you the equipment was on his property. Ironically, now that we told you we could relocate the equipment to your back deck where you asked to have it moved when you met ***** the estimator and **** the Supervisor at a cost, you have now produced accusations of our quality of work and our professionalism. We never told you we would move it for free. We do not feel we are responsible for your lack of knowledge of your own property. We completed our work as stated in the contract that you agreed on and that I have attached to this response.
  
  ******* Winslow
  
  

  Customer response

  02/23/2024

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  1.The fact that you have been in business a long time does not preclude you from misrepresenting your work.

  2. The contract states you would put one unit on the left and one on the right. There is plenty of room on both sides or my property to put the units. (see photo)
  

  3. Additionally, ***** and I discussed putting the units onto the sides of the building to prevent flood damage. I didn't agree to have it on the ground of my neighbor's property. Show me where in the contract I had agreed to that.
  

  4. This was brought to ***** and ****'s attention 3 weeks after the final payment was made. Additionally, it is covered under your labor warranty. You provided labor that was subpar, and therefore should fix it.
  

  5. ***** and **** said they would move it for free. They would only charge me if I wanted it moved to the other side of the building. I opted to move it just a few feet away from its current location.

  6. ***** also told me your company would handle all of the rebate paperwork, which you didn't.
  

  7. I have a PhD. I do not easily misunderstand information given to me

  8. This in the great scheme of things is not a situation that needed to rise to this level of discord. You could have easily moved the item a few feet away in a few hours. I do not understand why you would treat a customer who had spent nearly ******** at your company this way. I would think being in business for such a long time taught you the importance of good customer service and customer loyalty.
  

  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
  
  FAQ
  
  Regards,

  ****

   

   

  

  Business response

  03/14/2024

  Response to your items.

  Item #1 - We are not misrepresenting our work, In Item two you even state "the contract states we would put one unit on left and one on the right."

  Item #2 - Where on the side of your property would you locate them? **** and ***** met you and we offered to attach unit to the building instead of on the ground or move it a few feet down were it jogs in, and you were going to fill in the window in that area, After more investigation on your part you said it would still be in your neighbor's airspace and would not work. That is why we gave you a proposal to relocate unit to the rear of your property and place on your deck.

  Item #3 - Correct, you did discuss putting the units on the side of the building, and that is what we wrote on the contract. Again, Where on the side of your property would you locate them? **** and ***** met you and we offered to attach unit to the building instead of on the ground or move it a few feet down were it jogs in, and you were going to fill in the window in that area, After more investigation on your part you said it would still be in your neighbor's airspace and would not work. That is why we gave you a proposal to relocate unit to the rear of your property and place on your deck.

  Item #4 - Not a warranty issue. Refer to previous items.

  Item #5 - You told us moving it a few feet away would still be in your neighbor's airspace and would not work.

  Item #6 - We do not do paperwork for rebates; we provide the necessary information for you to submit.

  Item #7 - Our contract states where the equipment is to be installed, I do not know how much clearer that can be.

  Item #8 - We said we would move the unit a few feet away for free and you told us not viable because it would still be in your neighbors' airspace. 

  Respectfully,

  ******* Winslow

   

   

  
  
  

  Customer response

  03/14/2024

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  Item #1 - Any attorney would tell you that when you draft a contract, it is presumed that you are referring to the property (my property) in question. The contract does not say you would be putting the unit on someone else's property, nor does it presumed that when I signed it.
  

  
  Item #2 -You can put it to the side of the building where the window is; just set it farther into the interior so it doesn't intrude on my neighbor's airspace. And of course, the window would need to be reframed. That is a cost you should incur as this issue should have been raised at time of proposal, before I agreed to the work. The only other option is to put it a few feet away on the deck. I'm not happy with either of these solutions, but I was willing to compromise. I'm just not willing to pay for it since it's your incompetent crew and sales people who caused this problem.
  

  
  Item #3 - Refer to #2.

  
  Item #5 - Refer to #2

  
  Item #6 - That needs to be clearer in your sales pitches.

  
  Item #7 -Yes, your contract says the units need to be installed. It does not say it would be installed onto someone else's property. Refer to #1. I don't know how much clearer I can be about this.
  

  
  Item #8 - Refer to #2.
  
  
  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
  
  FAQ
  
  Regards,

  ****

   

   

• Initial Complaint

  01/11/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  EF Winslow is trying to charge me $500 for a return service call that was due to them not fixing it correctly in the first place. I had my outdoor shower fixed which had burst from freezing the previous season. I asked what I should do to avoid this happening again. I was shown how to shut the water off by valves in my basement. I followed the instructions and in June (of 2023) when I turned the water back on the pipes leaked and spit water everywhere. I called EF Winslow to come back again to repair the pipes and mentioned that I did not believe it was fixed correctly in the first place and should not be charged. I left calls and messages about this and never got a response. When the technician came out to fix the problem, I was told he had nothing to do with billing. I continued to attempt to contact them in vain. Months later I received a $500 bill. I made more futile attempts at calling the business. I eventually spoke with a man whose last name was Winslow. He was rude to me, raised his voice and spoke very disrespectfully. Previous to this situation, I had had other problems with them regarding explaining a bill, not getting back to me, showing up at times other than their appt.,actually going into my basement (acscessed from outside) to do work when I was not home and had not authorized the company to enter my basement/home, not showing up for appointments and no courtesy call to let me know they needed to cancel the appointment. The list goes onI have since sold my house and moved. The address where this happened was: *************************************************

  Customer response

  01/22/2024

  I have not heard from the business in response to my complaint.

  I did however receive mail indicating they were taking me to small claims court! No mention of my complaint to BBB

  

  Business response

  01/23/2024

  ************** called EF Winslow on 6/2/23 to schedule the repair of her outside shower. The call was scheduled for 6/21/23. We made necessary repairs to the outside shower as it was compromised from the winter temperatures. We had made similar repairs the prior year for the same reason. E.F. Winslow is not responsible for a homeowner attempting to drain/winterize their own outside shower. I talked to ************** to try to resolve the invoice, but she refused to cooperate. I talked to her on 12/1/23 and she told me she still had not drained her outside shower for the winter. I offered to send a plumber to checkout/drain her outside shower for the current year for free if she would pay the bill and she refused. E.F. Winslow cannot be held responsible for a customer performing their own ********************. I talked to her on 12/1/23 which is way past the date of freezing weather, and she still had not drained her outside shower for this coming winter and who knows when she tried to drain her outside shower on her own the previous year.

  Thanks for listening,

  ******* Winslow

   

  Customer response

  02/12/2024

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  [You must provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.  If you do not enter a reason for your rejection, your complaint will be closed as Answered.]
  
  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
  
  FAQ
  
  Regards,

  ******

   

   

• Initial Complaint

  09/27/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  The company, E.F. Winslow Plumbing and Heating, came to my house in the fall of ********************************************************* getting an irrigation system. The technician installed the backflow preventer and left without providing us any information about maintenance/upkeep. Being that it was the fall we did not install our irrigation system until the following spring at which point when our irrigation professional went to inspect the backflow he informed us that it was completey busted from freezing water inside the mechanism over the winter. We called E.F. Winslow to explain what happened and they sent over another technician to fix the broken piece. E.F. Winslow then sent us a bill for the replacement work at which point we contacted them directly to explain why we felt it was not our repsonsibility because we were never instructed by the qualified professional to drain the backflow. I contacted multiple people at E.F. Winslow over a period of 6-months and never received a call back until recently on September 26th when I spoke with ********** in the billing resolutions department. He told me that after speaking with his boss (the owner of the company) they concluded that it should have been our responsibility to drain the backflow preventer, yet he also said on the phone "I don't know why our tech didn't tell you that but it should be common knowledge". We do not feel this is common knowledge and this omission of information by E.F. Winslow caused the backflow to break in the first place. I have not yet paid E.F. Winslow and they have informed me they intend to take the case to small claims court.

  Customer response

  10/08/2023

  I have not heard from the business in response to my complaint.

  

  Business response

  10/13/2023

  E. F. Winslow has contacted Mr. **** and have reached an amicable resolution.

  Thank you

  ******* Winslow

  Customer response

  10/16/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does satisfy my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint #********. I understand that by choosing to accept the business response that my complaint will be closed as resolved. 
  
  Regards,
  
  *************

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